Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain-Chapter 271: REGRET AND DISAPPOINTMENT

The house that the Lozens’ men occupied was spacious.

While the basement served as a training ground, the second and third floors were occupied by the guys, and the fourth floor belonged to Arthur and Rye; thus, Aubrey had a private space for her and her son.

She occupied one of the rooms. Bryer was sleeping, and it was close to morning. After everything that happened, she needed to get as much rest as possible.

However, she couldn’t close her eyes, and sleepiness didn’t come to her. The adrenaline from last night was still high, but the main reason was that she was waiting for her father.

But Arthur didn’t come.

After helping her to settle in this room, he left, and he had not yet returned to check on her. Aubrey tried to think positively about her father; probably, he had a lot to deal with, and he thought she was sleeping.

Therefore, when the morning came, Aubrey left the room to look for him. She found one of the twin brothers with a piercing on his ear and asked for Arthur.

"You must be Aubrey. Boss is in the basement, having a chat with Arlo," he said lazily, stretching out his body, and continued playing a game on his phone.

Aubrey didn’t know many men in the Lozens, including the twins. She also didn’t try to get to know them. For her, that side of the Lozen family didn’t belong to her. That was what she thought in the past.

"Can you show me the way?"

"Hm?" Payton lifted his head and paused the game. He then stood up. "This way."

Aubrey followed him to the basement, where she grimaced at the sight of many men training and fighting. These were the people that River had to deal with every day.

Aubrey couldn’t imagine how River could manage that. As a woman, River must have put in a great deal of effort so that they recognized her.

And all this time, River had been living in the world of men.

No wonder Arlo was so insecure. No. He was jealous of her because River could stand side by side with him, when all he wanted was a woman whom he could protect. River didn’t need his protection.

"There, he is inside that room. I think Rye is also there." Payton pointed his finger at the door across the room. He didn’t even walk her toward the door.

"Thank you," Aubrey mumbled. She walked faster when a few men called Payton to join them in training. Their loud voices and profanities that they threw around made Aubrey’s skin crawl. How could River stand those men?

Once Aubrey reached the door that Payton told her about, she knocked on the door, and his father’s voice echoed from inside, permitting her to enter the room.

***

"I almost kidnapped your baby because you didn’t come home for days." Laurel held Ashlyn on her hips, while the baby stretched out her arms toward Hazel, asking to be picked up.

However, Laurel immediately sensed something was wrong. Hazel didn’t even look at her daughter when she walked past them and mumbled something about needing to rest.

"Are you guys okay?" Laurel asked Ranon, who picked Ashlyn instead. "I thought you had a second honeymoon getaway. Am I wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. Hazel is tired." Ranon kissed Ashlyn’s cheeks. She looked grim to see her mother walk away from her. She kept calling for Hazel, stretching out her little arms toward the direction where Hazel had left. "Mama needs to rest," he said to his daughter.

"No, I know there is something else."

"Thank you, Laurel, but you can go home now."

Laurel held Ranon by his elbow before he could leave. "Did you do something wrong with her? Did you hide something from her, and she figured it out during your getaway?"

Ranon smiled. "What are you trying to imply? We are fine. She only has a lot to deal with."

Laurel didn’t believe that one bit, but she knew it was not her place to pry further. "Whatever problem you guys have, you’d better fix it immediately. Apologize to her."

"Okay," Ranon agreed easily. Laurel didn’t even know what the problem was, but her ultimate solution was for Ranon to apologize to Hazel, despite who was in the wrong. "Call Alen if you want to leave."

"I am fine on my own," Laurel said agitatedly.

"No, you are not."

"See? I was right to assume that you are in the wrong. You must have annoyed the hell out of Hazel; that’s why she is upset."

After that, Laurel left with a huff.

***

"I think I should leave you both," Rye said as he stood up and left the room, leaving the two of them to have the conversation that had been overdue.

"Thank you, Uncle," Aubrey said politely. As Arthur’s trusted man, she knew him, though she didn’t know him a lot because he used to work in the field with River.

Rye nodded and then left.

Once they were alone, Aubrey walked across the room and then sat down on the seat that Rye had occupied earlier.

"How is Bryer?" Arthur asked first because Aubrey didn’t say anything.

"He is still sleeping. He will not wake up until later." Bryer was always with Aubrey, so she knew her son best.

An uneasy silence lingered in the air after that.

"Dad, are you still angry with me?" Aubrey asked. She looked at her father, but his expression was hard to read.

Arthur sighed deeply. He rubbed his face roughly, and he looked as if he were a few years older than the last time Aubrey saw him before everything went down.

"I am not angry with you," Arthur said after he gave some thought to it. "I am disappointed."

Aubrey lowered her head; she felt her throat was closed in. Tears welled up in her eyes, and suddenly, she felt like a child again.

"I don’t know how much you understand that what you have done has caused a domino effect." Arthur wanted to hate Aubrey; he needed to reprimand her harshly.

But then, when he finally met her, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Aubrey had gone through a lot. He knew his daughter well. Aubrey had changed a lot, and a lot had changed her.

For a start, she did not usually dress like this. She was wearing a plain shirt and jogging pants. Even when she was sleeping, she liked to look pretty.

But now, she didn’t even care how she looked. Her hair was not styled; she tied it messily. There was no makeup, not even lip gloss, as her lips were chapped.

Life had not treated her kindly by sending Arlo for her.

And in that instant, Arthur had the urge to kill that man right there and then for what he had done to his two daughters.

Arlo let go of River because he chose Aubrey, but once he got her, he didn’t cherish her at all; instead, he started chasing after River’s ghost.

"I am sorry. I am sorry..." Aubrey said softly, and she wiped her tears. She tried not to cry. She knew how wrong she was. She didn’t have any right to get Arthur’s sympathy, but she couldn’t help it.

All of this situation happened because of her. Arthur was right; she was the one who had caused the domino effect for the Lozens.

She was the one who had brought the family down. All of this started because of her stupid actions.

And all she could do was apologize. She knew it was not enough.

"I am sorry, Dad. I am sorry..." Aubrey covered her face. She was wracked with guilt. And suddenly she felt her father’s hand pull her into a hug.

Arthur had walked over to her side and hugged her tightly. He said nothing, but he caressed her back in a soothing motion.

"They killed Mom, and I couldn’t do anything. I am sorry."

Aubrey had never been close to her mother, but she always looked up to her. She craved her attention, even though Elise had never given her any time in the day.

She remembered how she used to look at her in awe when she went to parties with her friends, wearing all her jewelry and shiny things.

As a child, Aubrey wanted to grow up to be like her. She wanted to wear pretty things and go to a lot of parties.

Elise’s death didn’t hit her as hard as it did at the moment because she hadn’t had time to process it, nor had she had anyone to talk to about her loss.

Only now, when her father hugged her, did she realize how much she missed her mother. She was the one who stayed with her during her childbirth.

That was the closest moment Aubrey felt to her mother.

"I am sorry..."

***

"Mom is sick. Don’t bother her, okay?" Ranon said. He put Ashlyn down next to Hazel. Her body was burning, but she refused to go to the hospital.

"Sick?" Ashlyn tilted her head. She then kissed Hazel’s cheek but immediately frowned. "Hot..."

"Yes, because she is sick." Ranon picked his daughter up, but Ashlyn held onto Hazel’s hair, which forced him to put her down again.

"Mama’s sick..." Ashlyn then snuggled against Hazel, hugging her. "Mama’s sick..."

Hazel had been like this since they returned from Aspen City two days ago, and because she didn’t want to go to the hospital, Ranon called a doctor for her.